Business Opportunities in Malopolska voivodship

The region of MalopoIska is bounded by the Swietokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mountains on the north, the broad range of hills stretching down from Czestochowa to Krakow (Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska) on the west, and the Tatra, Pieniny and Beskidy Mountains on the south.The most visible feature of the region's economy is its great diversity. All significant branches of economy are represented here - from high technologies and banking to chemical and metallurgical industries, coal, ore, food processing, spirit and tobacco industries. The most industrialised city of the voivodship is Krakow. The largest regional enterprise is operating here the Tadeusz Sendzimir Steelworks employing 17,000 people. Another major industrial centre is located in the west, in the neighbourhood of Chrzanow (production of railway engines) and Oswiecim (chemical works). Krakowski Park Technologiczny, a special economic zone, has been established within the voivodship.

According to the official data of the Central Statistical Office (GUS) from August 2005, there were 290,687 business entities in the region. Roughly 2,609 of these enterprises had a share of foreign capital.

Selected foreign investors with investments of over $1 million in Poland, present in the voivodship:

HVB - banking

Kronospan Holdings Ltd. - wood and wooden products

Saint-Gobain - glass manufacturing

Philip Morris - tobacco processing

Electricite de France internationale - power, gas and water supply

IPC - pulp and paper

Air Liquide - chemicals and chemical products

Pliva - pharamceutical

Delphi Automotive Systems - automotive

Fleury Michon - food processing

Carlsberg - brewing

Man - automotive

Becker Industrial Coatings AB - chemicals

Electrolux - BPO - finances centre

Rogal Dutch Shell Group - BPO – finances and bookkeeping centre

LABOUR MARKET

Total number of employees in the voivodship, according to the official data provided by the Central Statistical Office in August 2005, is 2,031,000.